National History Day Script/ Project Type Performance

Script Draft 2
Character Analysis

Annette: A young woman of high social class. Annette is a traditionalist and goes against all the changes the “roaring twenties” has brought fourth.

Louise: A woman who was forced to move to the industrial north from the rural south because of the failed economy in the south after the war. Although Louise moved and left behind a lot of her materialistic items she however did not forget her down south upbringing; and she to is a traditionalist. As a part of her new life in the north Louise has opened up a tailoring shop.

Peggy: A young flapper who performs at speakeasies. Peggy was also a nurse in World War 1 from 1914-1918

Betty: A young woman who sings at the speakeasies.

Synopsis: Louise the owner of a tailoring shop is opening up shop and their is a crowd of people outside of the store. Amongst the waiting customers are Peggy, Annette, and Betty. Annette comes in outraged about a dress Louise made for her. Annette wants Louise t recreate her dress. Peggy and Betty become annoyed with Annette’s complaints. Annette becomes angered by their actions which starts a debate about fashion during the “roaring twenties”. Each woman expresses their reasoning behind their clothing and lifestyles.

(The presentation begins with Louise sitting down at her sewing machine working on a piece of clothing. Outside the store Betty and Peggy are smoking cigarettes. Betty is humming a tune to herself and doing some simple dance steps. Annette briskly walks past the two and enters the store.)

Louise: This job has becomes more and more of a challenge everyday. Everyday I have to make one of these “new age dresses”. Before moving here to New York from the rural south because of our economic failure due to the end of World War 1, I was a master at this. But that was when 15 ½ yards of material was used to create a woman’s outfit. To save cloth during the war, women used less fabric in their dresses, soon their was no stopping the trend. Nowadays you’re lucky if you see a women’s outfit with 7yards of material. Not only that, but now I have to deal with these new fabrics everyone’s been asking for…rayon and silk. It seems like a sin making these kinds of clothing, being the traditional women I am. Even though the War overseas has ended we now face our own war here on the home front…a sort of cultural war between the new modernist and the old traditionalist. As social, economic, and political opportunities increase for women their clothing becomes more liberal and they become more independent the nation becomes more divided. (Annette enters) How may I help you today Annette?

(Betty and Peggy enter the store)

Annette: My dress! Ugghhh it’s wrong all wrong….I hate it! You have to fix this mess Louise!

Louise: What do you mean Annette? I did exactly what you asked me to do. You said (In A mocking manner) Louise make me a stylish dress…a dress that stands out… a dress that makes a statement… yet reserved…an elegant dress. And Annette outrageous as your request was I did exactly what you asked me to do!

Annette: No, no, no you got it all wrong Louise! I am a traditional woman with deep respect for long-held cultural religious values, values that are anchors that provide order and stability to society. A woman of my caliber does not wear the fashions of the twenties. I wear high lace up boots, and my hemline usually come to my ankle or lower. I do not expose the hidden parts of my body like my shoulders, throat, knees, and ankles. These parts of me are sacred. My husband would be outraged if he saw me in this dress. You have to fix this mess quickly. I have to have dinner waiting for my husband when he comes home.

Louise: You asked for a stylish dress Annette. An according to my customers popular demand and Ms. Coco Chanel herself this right here (Pulls Annette in front of a mirror) is stylish. Yes I do share some of your same values and morals but I have to make a living.

Annette: I’m insulted Louise that you would even make this dress for me knowing that I’m a woman…the “fairer sex” I’m expected to uphold the morals and manners of society. How can I carry out my duties as a woman dressed as a bearcat…a flapper…a dame? I’m insulted because you to share my traditional values, and would not create this garment for yourself!


Betty and Peggy in unison: Oh Shut-up you wet blanket! (The girls laugh)

Betty: Forget a wet blanket this girl’s a prude. I’m sick of you rambling on and on about your traditional ways. You heard the seamstress it the roaring twenties baby and women’s role in society is changing along with her clothing.

Peggy: Clothing is a huge part of the change of the modern women of the twenties. Fashion is a way of expressing yourself and is reflective of the times. Right now fashion is reflecting women’s fight for independence equality and celebrating our right to vote.

Betty: I can tell just by looking at you that you are a country bumpkin stuck in the past of the pre war years. Listen lady “How can you keep them down on the farm after they’ve seen paree”. You wear layer upon layer of clothing and a restraining rib breaking corset that makes it hard to breathe. Your clothing represents the oppressed dependant on a man women of the pre war years.

Peggy: A corset represents women’s frozen position in society. Did you know a man made the first corset which makes the representation deeper? The corset further represents a man’s control of the female body. Each layer of clothing you wear represents the burden’s you carry your husbands every need, your children, your home, your appearance, cooking, cleaning, washing and décor.

Annette: That’s who I am! I am happy taking care of my home and family. That’s what I was taught and how I was raised. I won’t let you make a mockery of traditional women. What makes you think you’re better than me? What do you have except for a crazy little fantasy that embracing new styles and social trends will give women more freedom, independence and make them equal to men? Woman never will and never has been equal to men, that’s just the way it is. In 1918 the Supreme Court struck down a minimum-wage law for District of Columbia woman because with the vote, women were considered equal to men. In 1912 women we’re arrested for going shopping without their corsets. Not everyone loves the roaring twenties! Women are arrested for wearing indecent clothing…sort of what you two are wearing now. Bills are introduced into state legislatures to keep skirts long and tops from displaying more than three inches of the throat. You girls may be fighting to wear those loose clothing but we’re fighting back!

Peggy: Well lady, you’re fighting a loosing battle. Yes we have had some set backs and loss a few battles but we’re gonna win the war. Many women who worked hard to gain the right to vote continue to be active in politics…known as the League Of Women Voters.

Betty: These women are modernist just like us. The women of the League Of Women Voters was founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association.

Annette: The National American Women Suffrage Association were traditional women like me.

Peggy: Which is the very reason why the League of women broke away from them and formed their own group at the convention. The traditional women did not agree with the way some of the League Of women Voters members wanted to go about fighting for women’s rights so they parted ways. Six month’s after that ordeal the United States constitution was ratified giving women the right to vote.

Betty: The League Of Women Voters played a major part in fighting for women’s right to vote and getting the 19th amendment was passed after a 72 year struggle.

Annette: Yea all thanks to The National American Women Suffrage Association. Yes those modernists in the League Of Women Voters may be more popular then the N.A.W.S.A and their group may have accomplished more but those traditional women paved the way. Who do you think was fighting for women’s rights those 72 years before 1920? I’d also like to add that all you women can talk about is the right to vote. Yes congratulations women now have to right to vote but the women who do vote mostly vote the way their husbands or male relatives do. It’s basically one step forward for women and one step back.

Betty: Change doesn’t occur overnight Ms. Annette. Even if women are influenced by men at least they are out there voting. Women have always looked to men for everything, depended on man for everything when something is the same for so long it’s hard to change. So things will take time.

Peggy: As time takes its course…they will however change.

Betty: The League Of Women Voters was designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. And thus far they have carried out their duties so far by just getting women out to the voting booths.

Peggy: Voting isn’t all women have accomplished this decade it’s just the biggest accomplishment. In 1917, Jeanette Rankin of Montana became the first woman elected to the House of Representatives. Two women Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming and Miriam Amanda Ferguson of Texas- became governors of their states in 1924.

Betty: In 1925 Representative Mae Ella Norton became the first woman to chair a congressional committee. In 1921, women persuaded Congress to pass the Sheppard- Towner Act and act that distributed federal funds to states to create health care services for pregnant women, new mothers, and infant children. In 1926 Gertrude Ederle swam across the 35-mile English Channel, she beat the men’s record by two hours. Women are now working and earning their own living.

Peggy: By 1926 women swelled the ranks of white collar workers. Over 736,000 women work as clerks, wrappers, and cashiers. So you see Annette we woman are on the move and fighting battle after battle in all aspects of life social, economics, sports, and politics to earn equality, respect, and Independence.

Betty: Yes all aspects Annette did you hear her clearly? Including sex!

Annette: {gasp} I’m appalled at you! I do not publicly talk about sex. Have you no manners girl?

Betty: Yea I said it sex …ya prude, you heard me! In 1921 the first American Birth Control Conference was held right here in New York.

Annette: Before that radical Margaret Sanger could give her speech that meeting was raided by police as it should have been.

Betty: That radical is a great woman! Sanger declared “No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother.”

Peggy: She also promoted birth control as a means by which women could enjoy sex instead of being afraid of its consequences. She promoted birth control as a means to economic justice, as well as increased freedom for women.

Annette: Ah fooy! She promoted birth control so loose women like you can do as you please and not bring innocent children into the world as a result of your bearcat actions. I just bet Ms. Peggy that you use birth control don’t you?

Peggy: (guilty now… and stuttering) Well…I …ughhh {angrily} that’s besides the point! Yes Ms. Annette I am a flapper! I use birth control. I smoke, I drink, I swear, I dance wildly and even give out kisses freely. I am young confident, and assertive. Much to the horror of my mother I speak frankly and assert my sexual freedom, I go against all the prescribed rules of ladylike conduct.. I am a new breed of woman breaking down barriers. Most people think I care more about parties than politics which is partly true. However, its women like me flappers who play an important part in changing attitudes toward women.

Annette: Yes, you’re mother is mortified of you I’m sure. Just because social, economic, and political opportunities are increasing for women does not mean you have to dress like a dame or a bearcat. You young modernists have no class, I’ll tell you. It seems to me that the more opportunities and rights women gain the shorter the hemline on your dresses become. That’s not the way to celebrate.

Betty: Our clothing does not represent a woman of low social class…a woman with no morals. Our clothing is reflective of liberated women. Women like Josephine Baker a popular performer, Clara bow the women who after serving as a nurse overseas like my self came home and made the bob hairstyle popular. Louise Brooks a famous movie star known for her trademark slick black Dutch bob. These women are women who like Peggy and I face the conflict of discrimination and racism everyday by men who look at women as the weaker sex and by traditional women like you.

Peggy: I agree, we always have conflict with traditional women like you because you always look down on us and Judge us. You traditional woman act as if we are beneath you and you’re kind. Just because you don’t agree with the new ways of the nation does not give you the right to criticize (Annette cuts her off)

Annette: I do not criticize anyone. F. Scott Fitzgerald said it best in his book “The Great Gatsby”. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had.” And it’s obvious today that you women surely haven’t had the proper upbringing I’ve had. I am simply trying to guide you young people who are going in the wrong direction.

Betty: That’s the thing lady, we do not need you’re guidance. The last time you old country bumpkins guided us we were out of the country getting shot at and killed.

Peggy: Yes I agree. In 1918 when I returned home from Paris after serving in World War 1 as a nurse for four years my whole outlook on life changed, along with many other returning nurses and soldiers. After witnessing the tragedies if war I realized you only have one life to live.

Betty: Why spend that one life beneath a man as the “weaker sex”. The only difference between men and women is their sex organs. Women can do just about everything a man can if not more.

Peggy: Attagirl Betty, you tell her sister!

Annette: Men and women are two different creatures and have way more changes than just sex organs. Men and women are different in both mind and body. The bible even demonstrates how a man is above a women, that’s just the way it is ladies and you have to accept it. Wearing that loose clothing isn’t doing anything but bringing mockery to your family and name.

Peggy and Betty: Oh shut-up you bluenose!

Betty: Theirs just no getting through to the old prude let’s just forget about it. We’ve clearly wasted our breath here today.

Peggy: Yes girl indeed we have. I guess time will have to prove itself to her.

Betty: It already has…it already has. She just can’t accept it. We women can now wear what we please as proof that we are independent and fighting to become equal. We are liberated women.

Peggy: Let’s go, they’re having a great party down at the speakeasy tonight to celebrate Doris’s birthday. I have to go apply my make-up you know how long it takes me.

{The girls began to exit the store}

Betty: Yea and I have to warm up I have to sing tonight. Oh yea remind me to grab some tampons on the way home.

Peggy: Sure. Oh an Louise.

Louise: Yea.

Peggy: I love you’re work I’ll be back tomorrow to purchase that blue dress over there. {Points to a dress on the rack} I also hope to see you tonight at the speakeasy.

{Girls exit the store}

Annette: You surely aren’t thinking to attend that event are you Louise? It goes against prohibition and {Cut off by Louise}

Louise: Oh shut-up you wet blanket! Ha aha Ha I’ve heard more than my ears can take from you today. Look I’ll alter you’re dress tomorrow. I have to get ready for the speakeasy tonight.

{Hurry’s Annette out of the store}

{Cleaning frantically, and putting away supplies. Grabs a sexy little dress and holds it up to herself}

Louise: Women really are changing. And the clothes they wear today really do show a liberated, confident women who has control over her body. A women who is free. I want that woman to be me!